Summer that year was much more uneventful especially when compared to the previous summer. There were no new people popping into existence or magical nationality changes. The magic sunscreen seemed to have run out and during a family trip to the beach the new stuff didn’t turn Lisa into a dog or make Tristin Pregnant again. Instead it just did what Sunscreen is supposed to do and nothing more. Kim was the same as always with her older sisters now at the age where they could wax their legs and do makeup. They held this age over everyone’s head and for the first time Jennifer realized she would become a full blown adult woman some day and have to deal with things like periods and beauty upkeep.
Lisa was back to being Jennifer’s friend for the summer and it was like the last year of calling her a nerd had vanished entirely. The only time it came up was when their grades arrived and it turned out that while Lisa was hovering around the hollow sixties Jennifer had grades in the high nineties. This was a shock to her as when she had been a boy she had barely managed to scrape together high enough grades to barely earn her diploma and now she was at the top of her grade. Sure she was being graded on things like beginner reading and social interaction but it still felt nice to get praise for her grades for once.
Their mom was back at work so they were backin for dental checkups and lost teeth becsme highlights of the summer. However it was rather boring in all honesty and it was over way too fast. They celebrated an early birthday a week before leaving again and for a brief second it seemed like things would retain the sense of normality that had been earned over the summer. However that faded as soon as Tristan and Tucker dropped them off at the school gates. Suddenly Lisa was back with friends and Jennifer was left alone again to wander the grounds in her school uniform and slowly turn into a need again who answered all the questions in the grade two classroom where they learned about dinosaurs, the planets, and more advanced reading. Gone we’re the simple books and real books were ushered in. They had to read stories about rabbits finding debs in the winter and girls who got different coloured dresses. A book had to be read every day and there was a large shelf filled with them. They had varying levels attached to them and one got points for reading harder books. A quiz had to be completed to show you had actually read it and the questions were overly simple and rather stupid in all honsty. You had to read five books in a level before you could advance to the next and Jennifer had a perfect score and advanced to a higher level every chance she got.
All this academic success, mostly brought on by the fact she was a grown adult in terms of mind must have impressed the superiors at the school because suddenly Jennifer was being called to the office and being told by the headmaster that she had been selected as a model student for the school and that they wanted her to attend a formal touring by the board who funded the school. It didn’t sound that hard at first so she agreed without hesitation without realizing what she was getting herself into. Being a good student was only half of the task, looking like a proper young lady was the other half and this was something she didn’t understand and it was clear the teachers didn’t expect her to understand. Suddenly there was an extra class added to her day. A bright and overly happy young teacher would collect her from her dorm and take her to a small room where she’d be taught how to be a proper lady. Protesting wasn’t allowed and suddenly masculinity was a negative trait. She had to sit with her legs crossed, learn how to curtsy, how to wear dresses, and even how to eat properly. She was drilled on the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork. She learned how to do her hair up in a braid, and soon enough thoughts of resisting the ladylike behaviour were driven away and she was walking with her head held high and speaking like an adult in no time.
She spent her eighth birthday at a formal dinner party with a bunch of suits wearing a mahogany dress and matching hairband with a light speckle of makeup on her face. She actually felt pretty and enjoyed her femininity for once. She and a girl from each grade were presented to the board and though they paid more attention to the older girls Jennifer still felt super accomplished and proud of herself. At least until Lisa and her friends started teasing her about being a teacher’s pet and a spoiled brat. It was enough to knock some sense into Jennifer and make her realize what she was doing. She was embracing her feminine side and that wouldn’t do. So the next day she walked into the halls dressed grumpily with her hair undone. Halfway down the hall a teacher grabbed her arm and she was dragged back to the overly chipper teacher like she’d been caught smoking or something.
“What happened to that feminine air young lady?” The teacher asked in a rather unnerving manner.
“I don’t want to be all girly,” Jennifer replied before the teacher stood up and with her eerie smile gave a little laugh.
“Young lady we cannot have a star student walking around frumpily,” The teacher explained.
“I don’t want to,” Jennifer replied.
“You will do your hair and look like a model student,” The teacher replied.
After that Jennifer was exposed to what she could only describe as a brainwashing class. Suddenly her free time was spent with a teacher who forced her to braid her hair, dress herself smartly, and learn proper manners even though she already knew them. By the time Christmas arrived a massive change had overtaken her mannerisms and thoughts. Suddenly her hair was always done up, lazy sundays were not proper, and her clothes needed to be feminine. Her parents enjoyed her hair and manners quite a bit and Kim was ecstatic. Lisa however stuck her tongue out at it and called Jennifer a try hard Prep like it was an insult. So even though no magic sunscreen had been applied Jennifer still ended up getting girlier than before and her desire to watch boys shows and convince her parents that she wasn’t all girly faded completely as each time she felt the temptation she just remembered her teacher’s creepy smile and insistence that she act like a proper young lady. It was enough to make her turn on girly shows and regretfully let her urges to reclaim some of her male personality go. As much as it hurt the damage had been done by the school trying to make her a model student. Now she wanted to be that model student instead of herself.